Automatic coupling device



Jan. 27, 1931.

c. c. FARMER AUTOMATIC COUPLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24, 1928 INVENTOR CLYDE C FARMER BYWKW% ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 27,1931

jcLYnE 0. EARMER, on rrr'imsiionen, iennnsgtvnnia; Assieivon mo. 21in wastin i p HoUsE em nn mncoiarsny, on IL En-DIN PE-nn sYLv NIA,,A CORPO ATION on, PENNSYLVANIA, ,7

Application filed' November This, invention, relates to automatic train pipe couplingsuiand more particularly to th'e type linown'as the tight'or rigid lock-coupling. -'i Y d An object of the invention is to provide a trainpipe couplingof the abovenientioned type wherein the brake pipe will be automatically closed when the carsare uncoupled,

will be automatically opened when the cars jfio are coupled together, andwill remain open pled gv, V

JAnother object of the invention is to provide an improved train pipe coupling-of the in case the cars are unintentionally uncoucharactermentioned which 'isfirelatively "simple in construction, and reliable and exact in function under all conditions of sefrvice f 27%: I

n The invention also comprises certain new anduseful improvements inthe construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of which it is composed, as "will be here- 'inafter'more fully described and claimed.-

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 '25'is a plan, partly in section, of a train pipe couplingembodying my invention, showing the same in uncoupled position; Fig. 2'is a 'transver'se'section taken along the'line 22 of Fig; 1; 3 isa viewsimilar to Fig. 2

- showing the parts in coupled position; Fig.

4 1s alongitudinal sect on: taken-alongthe line H of Flg. 1 showing the parts lncoupled position; and'Fig; 5 is a side View of a portion of the latch foperating member.

" "Train pipe couplings of "thetype known as the tight or rigid lock coupling, are shown for example, in the lfVestinghouse Patent 708,747, dated 7 September 9, 1902," and. in which each coupling head provided with a laterally projecting hookshhpd portion adaptedto engage the corres 'ionding portion o faflcounterpart coupling by a relative latoral movement, and be rigidlylocked together a by cam levers or latches, one pivoted upon each coupling head and bearing against the 7 other counterpart coupling hea-d. Train pipe passages are formed in ,the coupling heads and are provided with gaskets adapted '7 to abut against corresponding. gaskets ofqthe I enrol /semis confirms? eEvm'E antomaticall I" couple 'With a counterpart con;

- plin'g when two carsarefbroiight together, it

'is necessaryto manually operate the train pipe valves to open the train pipe passages; By thepresent invention, i'neansfare provic'ledjbywhich the train'pi'pevaWes"are operated to: open the ti'ain "pipe passages when the cars are brought together "for coupling up; the valve operating means b eingjalso' adapted to be actuated,-vvhen thelcar's are;be ing intentionally 'u'ncfo' u pled, to close the open ends of the train pipe sections,*however the construction is such that should the car's be imint'entionally juncojupled the ream: pipe valves will not be actuated'toclose train 'pip'epas's'ages' 7 7 Referring to the drawing-f the automatic v train pipecoupling head'll is provided with one or' more train pipe sections 12, each hav;

- 111ga'passag'e'adaptedto'register ith the corres onding passage iof'a counterpart coupling, joint betvveen the{adjoining'ends of the" lpes being sealed 1 by a gasket f 13 moun' te'd" n theend of eaclr'pi p'e sectlon."

" 'Garried by the shankof the coupling head 11 and extending rearwardly therefroniiisa tubiilar section amuse; 14" which is slut "b'lv'frnou'ntejd on asten'i he rear endo f the' steni 15 is "'In'ovided Witli a -ballsection l'ti adapted'tdbe mounted fin' correspondingly fo1:1ne d",socket'(not shown) carriedb'y thecaru' "A" follo'iverjc'ollar 17 issli'dablymounted on the real-portion o't'the sleevelt and carries a pin 18 which extei'ids th'rough elongated slots Iain the sleevel l'aiid also thrcnigh' an elongated slot 20' in thesteni "15. A front follower collar 2l is also mounted on' the sleeve 14 and carries "a pin' '22 which "extends through elongated slots 23 in the sleeve '14 and "also through" an elongated slot 2l inrthe'steml5f"r" 7 T ';A-coil spring 25' is interposed betweenthe, collars 17; and 21. This spring-is adaptedfto 4 be. compressed upon movement Ofyfilthl collar relative to the other, and is also llnxdr ;initialcompression, which tends to Fhold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the pins 18 and 22 engaging the extreme ends of the corresponding guide slots."

At the front end, the stem 15 is provided with an extended portion 26 which is recessed to receive the end portion of a rack bar 27 and also the rear portion of a block 28.

The rack bar 27 is guided by a vertical rib 29 depending from thetop wall of the couplinghead 11, and this rack bar-at its front end is provided with teeth which mesh with the teeth of a gear 30 carried by a plug valve 31 rotatably mounted in the train pipe section12. Y H

The plug valve 31 is adapted to close the train pipe passage 12 when thecoupling is uncoupled and its port or waterway 32 is adapted t-o-register with the train pipe pas-' sage when the coupling is connected to a counterpart coupling to permit the fluid to flow through the connected train pipe sections. The end of the rack bar 27 projecting into the portion 26 of the stem 15 is formed with a laterally projecting arm 33 which is interposed between the end-face 34 oi the stem 15 and the end of the block 28.. i v

-The block 28 is provided with an elongated opening35 into which extends one end of a latch 36lpivotally mounted in the bottom ot'the rib 29 at 37. The opposite end of the latchis formed with 7 an upturned nose 38 adapted to be disposed within .a notch 39 formed in the bottom of the rack bar 27 for a purpose to be described] The .train pipe coupling is disposed below the usual car coupler 40 (see Fig. 4) and the block 28 is connected to the car coupler looking pin 11 by a flexible element, such for in stance as a chain 42, so that when the locking pin 41 is lifted in the well known manner to release the car coupler; the block 28' will also .be elevated for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

In operation, when cars are brought together for coupling up, the counterpart coupling heads engage and interlock in the :usual manner.

During this movement, the sleeve portion 1.4 is moved rearwardly and carries with it the pin 22 and the follower roller 21. The rear follower collar 17 is held against rearward movement by engagement of the pin 18 with the stem 15, so that the spring 25 is compressed; In this manner the coupling head 11 and the stem 14 will be The'extended portion 26 of the stem 15 is formed at its outer end with an inturned flange 43 and the block 28 is provided with a step 44 which is adapted to beengagedby the flange 43 when the head 11 moves relatively to the stem 15, so as toprevent the block from traveling with the coupling head 1.

Furtherm ore, as theend' 33 of the =raek bar 27 abuts the end face34 of the stem, the

rack bar will remain stationary when the coupling head 11 moves rearwardly on the stem 15, and as the gear 30 is carried by the coupling head, the plug valve 31 will'be r0- tated 'to bring the port 32 thereof into registration with the train pipe passage-12, as will be readily understood.

The rearward movement of the jcoupling head 11 relative to the stem 15 will carry the latch 36 inwardly of the opening '35 of the block 28, as well as position the nose'38 at the rear end of the notch'39of the rack bar.

lVhen cars are separated, the car couplers when the coupler lockingpin 11 iSslifted, the

latch 36 will be tilted on its pivot-37and its nose 38 will be disposedbeneath the bottom of the rackiba-r 29. s

\Vhenthe block 28 is elevated ashasbeen? described, the upper partofthe, portion thereof disposed with the portion f26 ofthe stem 15 will be disposed in substantially the same plane as the end 33 of the rack bar 27, and thereby the rack bar-will be prevented from.

moving outwardly with thecoupling head 11.

Therefore, when the coupling head 11 moves ,outwardly relative to the-stem 15 when the cars are being uncoupled, the .plug valve 31 will be rotated to close the train pipe passage Forthe purpose of effecting an emergency rate of reduction of the fluid pressure in the train pipe 12 to cause immediate applicatlon of the brakes when the coupling heads are unintentionally uncoupled, the plug valve 31 should'notbe closed.-

Therefore, should the coupling head 11 move outwardly oirtlie stem 15 while the block 28 isresting on. the bottom of the por-' .tion 26 of the stem 15 (see Figs. 3 and 4) the nose 38 of the latch 36 will be disposed. in the notch 39 of the rack bar and the end 33 thereof will be disposed in a plane above the top of the block 28. hen the coupling headsare pulled outwardly on the stems 15, the rack bars 27 will therefore be carried therewith, and hence will not cause the plug valves 31 to be rotated to a position closing the train pipe passage 12.

, lVhile one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been describedin detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodient or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims. 5 Y

Having nowdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is 7 Y v v 1. A train pipe coupling comprising a fixed portion, a head removably mounted .on said fixed portion, a train pipe passage in said movable head, a valve for controlling com munication through said passage, an actuator for operating said valve, said actuator be ing mounted in said head and engageable with said fixed portion and also being removable relatively to said head, means for connecting and disconnecting said valve actuator to the head, and means for limiting the movement of the actuator relatively to said head when the actuator is disconnected therefrom. I

2. The combination with a car coupler havmg movable locking means, and a tram plpe coupling having a fixed portion and a head movably mountedthereon, a train pipe passage in said movable head, a rotatable valve for controlling the communication through said passage, a gear carried by said valve, a rack bar mounted in the head and in mesh with said gear, said rack bar being so mounted in the head as to be removable relative thereto, a notch formed in said rack bar, a latch pivoted to the head and adapted to engage in said notch to restrict the movement of the rack bar relative to the head, whereby said rack bar is caused to move in unison with the head and gear and thereby not rotate'the gear, means formed on the rack bar for en I gaging the fixed port on of the train plpe coupling whereby said rack bar is'held stationary when the coupllng head is moved relatively to said fixed portion, and means connected to the movable car coupler locking means for operating said latch to disengage the same from said notch when the cars are uncoupled.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 22nd day of November, 1928.

CLYDE o. FARMER, I 

